The Arkansas Series

VHS, 11 Videos, 30 min. each,  2000

Eleven 30 minute documentaries on people, places and traditions in Arkansas.

War Comes to Arkansas --- The story of the 1862 battle at Pea Ridge, the most significant engagement in the Civil War west of the Mississippi.

War on the Frontier --- A video on the 1862 battle at Prairie Grove and the events that led to the battle. Also featured is the present day re-enactment.

War in the Delta --- The story surrounding the 1863 Civil War battle at Helena and the campaign that led to it.

War in the South --- An account of the 1864 Red River campaign in which a Union army left Little Rock for an invasion of Southern Arkansas but returned without getting the job done.

"Work Will Win" --- One of the great Arkansas stories of black achievement against all odds.

We're Number One! --- Arkansas is a leader in more ways than most of us ever realized. Examples in industry, business, and agriculture.

The Way It Was --- Among the things that make Arkansas unique are the cultures which developed here. This is a video on the Ozark folk culture.

Arkansas' Black Gold --- An overview of one of the most turbulent periods in the history of Arkansas: the oil boom of the 1920's in south Arkansas.

Ruben Dees Remembers --- A participant in the oil boom at Smackover relives the experience on camera. Even in his 90's, Mr. Dees makes events from long ago seem not so far away.

Festivals & World Championships --- Arkansans have a love affair with local festivals. This video showcases four connected with world championships. Each says something about who we are in this state.

Blues in the Delta --- Most people don't realize that the Delta of eastern Arkansas has played an important role in the musical art form known as the blues, a great contribution from black American culture to the rest of us.